This Is The Trick To Fixing Runny Custard

Homemade custard is one of the most delicious building blocks of tons of desserts. It's creamy and smooth and is the center of so many sweet treats like creme brulee, custard pie, flan, custard kuchen, and even comfort foods like banana pudding or custard-based ice creams (via Taste of Home). While there may be few things as satisfying as dipping your spoon into a custard that has set properly, this classic dessert can be troublesome from time to time.

Custards can be tricky to get just right because you have to cook them since custard has eggs in it. If the custard is undercooked it might never set, while if you add the eggs without tempering them or while the mixture is too hot, you might end up with scrambled eggs. 

If you find yourself with a runny custard, you do have options. One way to combat a custard that will not set is to reboil it. If you thought your custard was thickening up, and then refrigerated it to let it set, only to find that it had thinned out, simply pour the custard base back into a pot and cook it more (via Crafty Baking). 

But if your custard hasn't set enough to even go into the fridge, there are a few ingredients you can add to a runny custard to thicken it.

Thickening agents can be a huge help if you have a runny custard that refuses to set. There are actually three different thickening agents that can be used, so if you don't have one on hand, then you can use another. These ingredients are pretty standard pantry staples, so you shouldn't have trouble finding at least one to use in your custard.

The first option is to mix two tablespoons of flour with four tablespoons of cold water for every cup of custard you've made. Mix the flour into the water well, then whisk it into your custard mixture as it cooks on the stove. You can follow the same steps with cornstarch instead of flour if you prefer as well. However, you'll use one tablespoon of cornstarch to one tablespoon of water for every cup of custard you have. Another thickening agent you can use is tapioca. Use one teaspoon with one tablespoon of water for every cup of custard and whisk it into the mixture as it cooks (via WikiHow).

If your custard is still runny, you might need to change the cooking temperature. But be careful. You don't want to crank up the heat only to scramble the eggs in the mixture.